The present disclosure relates generally to operations performed and equipment used in conjunction with subterranean wells and, in particular, to subsurface safety valves having a reduced spread between opening and closing pressures.
Subsurface safety valves are well known in the oil and gas industry and act as a failsafe to prevent the uncontrolled release of reservoir fluids in the event of a worst-case scenario surface disaster. Typical subsurface safety valves are flapper-type valves that are opened and closed with the help of a flow tube moving linearly within the production tubular. The flow tube is often controlled hydraulically from the surface and is forced into its open position using a piston and rod assembly that may be hydraulically charged via a control line linked directly to a hydraulic manifold or control panel at the well surface. When sufficient hydraulic pressure is conveyed to the subsurface safety valve via the control line, the piston and rod assembly forces the flow tube downwards, which compresses a spring and simultaneously pushes the flapper downwards to the open position. When the hydraulic pressure is removed from the control line, the spring pushes the flow tube back up, which allows the flapper to move into its closed position.
Depending on the size and depth of the safety valve deployed, the components of the pressure control system used to operate the safety valve can be quite expensive. The cost of a pressure control system may increase as required pressure ratings for the control line and/or the pump equipment increase, which is usually related to the operating depth of the safety valve. There are practical limits to the size and rating of pressure control systems, past which a well operator may not be able to economically or feasibly employ a subsurface safety valve. Accordingly, there is always a need in the industry for the ability to use lower rated pressure control systems for operating subsurface safety valves.